Ethiopia attack: 200 people dead, 100 children missing

The death toll from a raid carried out by South Sudanese gunmen in western Ethiopia has risen to 208 people, an Ethiopian government spokesman said, adding that the attackers kidnapped 108 children.

By Sunday afternoon, the number had risen to "208 dead and 75 people wounded" from a figure of 140 a day earlier, government spokesman Getachew Reda told the Reuters news agency on Sunday.

He said that the assailants had also taken 2,000 head of livestock. Women and children are among those killed, he added.

"Ethiopian Defence Forces are taking measures. They are closing in on the attackers," Getachew said.

The attack happened on Friday in the Horn of Africa nation's Gambela region which, alongside a neighbouring province, hosts more than 284,000 South Sudanese refugees who have fled a conflict in that country.

Cross-border cattle raids have happened in the same area in the past, often involving Murle tribesmen from South Sudan's Jonglei and Upper Nile regions - areas awash with weapons that share borders with Ethiopia.

Previous attacks, however, were smaller in scale.

The gunmen are not believed to have links with South Sudanese government troops or rebel forces who fought the government in Juba in a civil war that ended with a peace deal signed last year.

South Sudanese officials were not immediately available for comment.

Under pressure from neighbouring states, the United States, the United Nations and other powers, South Sudan's feuding sides signed an initial peace deal in August and agreed to share out ministerial positions in January.

Desperate Search For Ecuador Quake Survivors

A national emergency has been declared in Ecuador as rescuers scramble to find survivors following a 7.8 magnitude earthquake which has claimed at least 272 lives.

President Rafael Correa landed back in the country late on Sunday night to oversee the relief effort after cutting short a trip to the Vatican.

Ecuadoreans have been warned that the number of fatalities is likely to rise as more than 2,000 people were injured following the strong quake and many others remain unaccounted for.

It has emerged that the forceful tremors allowed about 180 inmates to break out of a prison in the western town of Portoviejo, and dozens are yet to be captured.

But thousands of food packages and nearly 8,000 sleeping kits have been delivered from neighbouring countries, bringing warmth to the many thousands left homeless and with no choice but to sleep outside in the dark.

In a televised address to the nation, President Correa said: "Ecuador has been hit tremendously hard ... this is the greatest tragedy in the last 67 years.

"There are signs of life in much of the rubble and that is the priority."

In some of the worst-hit areas, 60% of houses were destroyed - leaving many families with nothing.

Families have expressed their frustration at being unable to rescue their loved ones from collapsed buildings. 

Manuel Quijije said his older brother was trapped underneath a pile of twisted steel and concrete, adding: "We managed to see his arms and legs. They're his, they're buried, but the police kicked us out because they say there's a risk the rest of the building will collapse.

"We're not afraid. We're desperate. We want to pull out our family."

There have been at least 160 aftershocks since the earthquake struck, and according to the US Geological Survey, one of them had a magnitude of 5.6.

The authorities have warned Ecuadoreans to prepare for similarly strong aftershocks in the coming hours and days.

This is the seventh earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 or higher to hit Ecuador since 1900 - and one in March 1987 killed approximately 1,000 people.

U.N. Human Rights Chief Condemns ‘Ugly’ Tone of U.S. Election

The head of the United Nations Human Rights Office challenged the rhetoric of Republian presidential contender Donald Trump in a speech Friday, saying he and other presidential candidates had resurrected the “ugly phantom of racial and religious division.”

In a reference to Trump, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, U.N. high commissioner for human rights, rued that “a front-running candidate to be President of this country declared, just a few months ago, his enthusiastic support for torture,” before condemning “hateful slander” leveled at foreigners.

He continued: “To casually toss this gasoline onto the smouldering embers of fear is to risk great harm to a great nation.”

The speech, delivered at Case Western Reserve University Law School, comes just months before Republicans gather in the city to select their party’s nominee.

Zeid urged the GOP to choose wisely. “The world’s eyes will turn to Cleveland,” he said, according to prepared remarks. “It is my deepest hope that the people of this country will demonstrate their profound understanding of human dignity and human rights.”

'Brexit Would Cost UK Families £4,300 A Year'

Every household in Britain would be £4,300 a year worse off by 2030 if the UK pulls out of the European Union, the Chancellor has warned.

Writing in The Times newspaper, George Osborne made the financial prediction as the Government continued to argue the case for staying in the 28-nation bloc.

He said the question facing British voters on 23 June is "one of the most fundamental our country has been asked to settle in a generation" and will have "profound consequences" for the UK economy.

Mr Osborne said the Treasury had carried out "rigorous analysis" of the long-term costs and benefits of EU membership or "Brexit".

He said leaving the EU would mean Britain would be "worse off, permanently so, and to the tune of £4,300 a year for every household".

He added: "The analysis shows that our membership of the EU, and the quota-free, no-tariff access it gives us to a single market of half a billion consumers, has increased our trade with our European neighbours by three-quarters.

"And increased our trade with the rest of the world too, because of the 50 or so EU free trade deals we are part of."

North Korea preparing new nuclear test, says S Korea

detected signs that the North is preparing for a fifth nuclear test, President Park Geun-hye said.

She did not elaborate on what the signs where, but ordered the military to be prepared, Yonhap news agency said.

It comes after reports in local media about increased activity at the North's Punggye-ri nuclear test site, where the previous nuclear tests took place.

A new test would be further defiance of tougher sanctions imposed by the UN last month.

"We are in a situation, in which we don't know whether North Korea could stage provocation as a move to overcome its isolation and to consolidate its internal unity," Ms Park said told her top aides, Yonhap reported.

In January, the North conducted its fourth nuclear test and a rocket launch a month later, raising tensions on the peninsula.

Observers have been saying another test could come before North Korea holds its Workers' Party congress in Pyongyang in May.

Experts believe the North does not possess the technology to mount a nuclear device on an intercontinental ballistic missile - although it has made progress in recent years on its nuclear weapons programme.

Depp's Wife Escapes Conviction In Dogs Trial

Johnny Depp's wife Amber Heard has received a $1,000 Australian dollars (£541) good behaviour bond with no conviction after pleading guilty to providing a false immigration document which failed to declare her dogs.

The actress had two other, more serious charges of illegally importing the terriers Pistol and Boo into the country dismissed.

A conviction on the illegal importation counts could have sent Heard to prison for up to 10 years.

The false documents charge carried a maximum penalty of a year in jail and a fine of over $10,000 Australian dollars (£5,400).

"If she keeps her nose clean for one month, she pays nothing," said Channel 9 reporter Joel Dry.

"The magistrate decided that all this media attention and bad news was probably punishment enough."

Heard arrived at Southport Magistrates' Court in Queensland this morning accompanied by Depp.

Pistol and Boo were eventually returned to the US

The couple were swarmed by reporters when they arrived in a black limousine.

They said little apart from Depp responding "Fine, thank you," to journalists shouting questions about how Pistol and Boo were doing.

Twelve witnesses had been listed to give evidence but it was unclear whether Depp was one of them.

The case, dubbed the "war on terrier", began in May last year when Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce accused Depp of sneaking the terriers aboard his private jet when he returned to Australia for the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Australia has strict quarantine regulations to prevent diseases such as rabies from spreading to its shores. Bringing pets into the country involves applying for a permit and quarantine on arrival of at least 10 days.

"If we start letting movie stars - even though they've been the sexiest man alive twice - to come into our nation (with pets), then why don't we just break the laws for everybody?" Mr Joyce said at the time.

"It's time that Pistol and Boo buggered off back to the United States."

Depp and Heard were given 72 hours to send Pistol and Boo back to the US, with officials warning that the dogs would otherwise be euthanised. The pooches boarded a flight home just hours before the deadline ran out.

Drone Strikes BA Plane At Heathrow Airport

A British Airways flight carrying 132 passengers has been hit by a drone on approach to Heathrow Airport.

The pilot reported that an object had struck the Airbus A320, which took off in Geneva, as it came in to land at the London hub.

The flight - BA727 - landed safely at Heathrow Terminal 5.

Initial inquiries determined that an object - believed to be a drone - struck the front of the plane as it approached the airport.

No arrests have been made and inquiries are continuing.

A British Airways spokesperson said: "Our aircraft landed safely, was fully examined by our engineers and it was cleared to operate its next flight. 

"Safety and security are always our first priority and we will give the police every assistance with their investigation."

The strike is the latest in a string of incidents involving drones and aircraft in UK airspace.

Steve Landells, flight safety specialist at the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA), said: "Frankly it was only a matter of time before we had a drone strike given the huge numbers being flown around by amateurs who don't understand the risks and the rules.

"It appears that no serious damage was done on this occasion, but what is clear is that while most drones are flown safely, sensibly and within the limits of the law, much more education of drone users and enforcement of the rules is needed to ensure our skies remain safe from this threat."

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) "drone code" says they should be kept away from planes and airports, and not be flown above 400ft.

In March, a report released by the UK Airprox Board (UKAB) found there were 23 near misses between drones and aircraft in the six months between April and October last year.

On 22 September, a Boeing 777 that had just taken off reported that a drone narrowly passed down the right hand side of the airliner.

Investigators concluded that the drone was at the same height and within 25 metres of the jet.

A report was made to police but the drone operator was not traced.